It is commonly known to use a paperboard based packaging material to form product containers, such as containers for enclosing and storing liquid food.
In order to ensure the required quality of the final package, e.g. in terms of food safety and integrity, the packaging material may comprise different layers. As an example, a laminated packaging material may comprise a paperboard with at least one first plastic layer applied on one side thereof making up the outer surface of the final package, and one or more second plastic compositions or layers on the opposite or inner side. The second plastic composition may in some cases be laminated to a protective layer such as an aluminum foil; the laminated material thus normally also includes an outer, or distal layer on the inner side, which is in contact with the product intended to be contained in the final package.
If the final package is to be provided with a cap or a closure, adjustments to the packaging material need to be made. It is known that before application of any additional layers to the paperboard, the paperboard is adapted to the later application of a cap by incorporation of a hole for that purpose. Another application requiring a hole to be made is e.g. packages having a straw hole.
Such holes are normally cut in the paperboard prior to lamination, i.e. before any polymeric layers are added to form the final packaging material. The cutting process is performed by operating a cutting tool, such as a punching knife to move against a mating anvil. During operation the paperboard to be cut is positioned between the punching knife, forming a male tool, and the mating anvil, forming a female tool.
In order to achieve a high precision cut it is of outmost importance to arrange the male tool and the female tool in perfect alignment. Should there be any offset between the tools the hole will not be cut properly, or the male and/or female tools will be damaged.
Manufacturing of packaging material is run at very high speeds, well above 400 meters per minute. Should there be any misalignment between the tools it is readily understood that a vast amount of packaging material will be wasted if the error is not detected in due time.
In order to reduce the risk of waste of material and improve the cost effectiveness of the entire hole-cutting process, it is not unusual to spend more than one entire day to accomplish the required calibration and alignment of the tools.
In view of this, it would be desired to have more efficient and less sensitive cutting tools for at least partly overcoming the disadvantages of prior art solutions.